samsung galaxy s3http://www.maclife.com/taxonomy/term/12811/all
enRounded Rectangles: Apple's Plastic iPhone May Be Inexpensive, But It Won't Be Cheaphttp://www.maclife.com/article/columns/rounded_rectangles_apples_plastic_iphone_may_be_inexpensive_it_wont_be_cheap
<!--paging_filter--><p><em><strong><a href="http://www.maclife.com/tags/rounded_rectangles"><img src="/files/u330237/2012/11/roundedrectangles_200.jpg" width="200" height="79" class="graphic-right" /></a>Mr. McGuire:</strong> I want to say one word to you. Just one word.<br /><strong>Benjamin: </strong>Yes, sir.<br /><strong>Mr. McGuire:</strong> Are you listening?<br /><strong>Benjamin:</strong> Yes, I am.<br /><strong>Mr. McGuire:</strong> Plastics.</em></p><p>Plastics may have been the next big thing when The Graduate hit screens in 1967, but they don't get a lot of love in 2013. Plastic equates to cheap and flimsy, which is the main reason why Samsung's flagship Galaxy S3 — despite being an extremely well-designed phone, and one that has set the curve for big-screen handsets — has taken its share of criticism.</p><p>But plastic — excuse me, <em>polycarbonate —&nbsp;</em>shouldn't be to blame.</p><p><img src="/files/u330237/2013/03/0312rr_plastics1.jpg" width="620" /><strong>Not even with a spokesman this smarmy.</strong></p><p>You may have read the rumor that Apple is building a new iPhone model to compete in the low-cost, contract-free market that Samsung pretty much dominates. There are loads of these phones on the market, with lame specs and flimsy enclosures, and it's hard to believe that Apple would ever stoop so low as to make one.&nbsp;</p><p>I mean, just imagine Phil Schiller walking out during the next iPhone event and saying: "It's really beautiful. It's got a full plastic back. It's really nice."</p><p>Go back and watch the iPhone 3G launch. Because that's exactly what Steve Jobs said in 2008. And no one called that cheap, did they?</p><p><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/4RSQScoe7yM" width="620" height="349" frameborder="0"></iframe></p><p>Apple's build quality had less to do with the materials it chooses and more to do with its tremendous attention to detail, even if it means struggling to meet demand. Samsung, according to exec Y.H. Lee — who all but admitted that the Galaxy S4 will retain its plastic body — treats the design process just a little differently:&nbsp;</p><p><em>"When Samsung looks at what materials to use, it isn't just taking into consideration the aesthetic quality of the device. The company also assesses how quickly and efficiently it can manufacture the product, knowing that it will have to ship a high volume."</em></p><p>Last I checked, Apple ships (and sells) a heck of a lot more iPhones than Samsung does Galaxy S3's; as a matter of fact, it seems like the more phones Apple sells, the higher its quality gets. We know that aesthetics are of absolute importance in Apple's world, but it's not just how things look; Apple wants the whole experience to be perfect, from its heft, to the way it feels in your hand, to how it slides into your pocket.</p><p>Five years later, the iPhone 3G still feels like a sturdier, higher-quality handset than the Galaxy S3 (before you start using it, anyway). It's nothing that's really quantifiable — the materials are the same and the shape is somewhat similar — its just that Apple doesn't compromise. Jony Ive and Tim Cook don't care about manufacturing while settling on a final design. They only want to build the best product they can, whether we're talking glass, aluminum or plastic. The production comes later.</p><p>Just take a gander at the iconic products Apple's been able to mold from cheap, low-grade plastic: iMac, Power Mac G4 Cube, PowerBook, iBook, MacBook, iPod. The Snow White Design Language? Plastic. The chrome-and-white design aesthetic? Plastic (the white part, anyway). The translucent revolution? Well, you get the idea.</p><p>Whether or not Apple is working on a plastic iPhone — and <a href="https://jobs.apple.com/us/search?#&amp;ss=plastic&amp;t=1&amp;so=&amp;lo=0*USA&amp;pN=0&amp;openJobId=25544830" target="_blank">this job listing</a> certainly suggests it is — there's one thing we know for sure. No matter what price it sells for, it won't be cheap.</p><p><em>Find Michael Simon on Twitter or App.net&nbsp;<a href="http://twitter.com/morlium" target="_blank">@morlium</a>.</em></p>http://www.maclife.com/article/columns/rounded_rectangles_apples_plastic_iphone_may_be_inexpensive_it_wont_be_cheap#commentsColumnsDesigniPhone 3Giphone rumorsplasticplastic iPhoneRounded RectanglesRumorssamsung galaxy s3Samsung Galaxy S4FeaturesiPhoneTue, 12 Mar 2013 23:31:08 +0000Michael Simon16466 at http://www.maclife.comLaw & Apple: And Now, Samsung Threatens the iPhone 5http://www.maclife.com/article/columns/law_apple_and_now_samsung_threatens_iphone_5
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u315479/law-and-apple_200x150.jpg" alt="Law and Apple" width="200" height="150" class="graphic-right" />Yesterday, as you have already been exhaustively told, Apple <a href="http://www.maclife.com/article/news/phil_schiller_announces_iphone_5_preorders_begin_friday_stores_sept_21" target="_blank">announced the long-awaited iPhone 5</a>. The device is packed full of new hardware and software, most of which everyone was already expecting. One particular feature, however, is of keen interest to Samsung and their hopes for patent revenge against Apple.</p><p>Is the iPhone 5 going to land Apple right back in court against Samsung? If so, what hope does Samsung have to put the brakes on the new device before it even hits the shelves next week?</p><h3>Samsung vs. Apple</h3><p>This situation is all about the speed. Apple wanted the iPhone 5 to have <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LTE_(telecommunication)" target="_blank">4G LTE</a> capabilities and Samsung holds LTE patents. Oh, and Samsung is feeling a little salty after being told <a href="http://www.maclife.com/article/news/law_apple_jury_rules_apples_favor_most_epic_courtroom_battle_year" target="_blank">they owe Apple $1-3 billion</a> for patent infringement.</p><p>We talked about how <a href="http://www.maclife.com/article/columns/law_apple_what_happens_next" target="_blank">this legal move by Samsung was likely</a>, and why they would probably not be able to do anything to block the sale of the new device. According to the <a href="http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/tech/2012/09/133_119602.html" target="_blank">Korea Times</a>, however, Samsung is convinced their patents have more teeth than that, and the company is moving forward with the lawsuit anyway.</p><p>On Monday, an insider source stated, "It’s true that Samsung Electronics has decided to take immediate legal action against the Cupertino-based Apple. Countries in Europe and even the United States ― Apple’s home-turf ― are our primary targets."</p><p>Samsung's Galaxy S3 is selling remarkably well, moving over 20 million devices in just the first 100 days. Having LTE capability is big part of that success, and it is a feature that Apple needed to deliver on the iPhone 5. Cupertino, knowing this was going to trigger more legal action, launched the new iPhone with LTE capability. Since&nbsp;<a href="http://news.yahoo.com/samsung-sue-apple-over-iphone-5-lte-164819123.html" target="_blank">Samsung has a claim on 12.2% of the LTE patents</a>, Apple is going to have to come to terms with that, one way or another.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><img src="/files/u315479/iphone-5.jpg" alt="iPhone 5 LTE" width="620" height="300" /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Maybe they won't care about the LTE thing...</strong></p><p>Florian Mueller of <a href="http://www.fosspatents.com/2012/09/where-on-earth-could-samsung-get-iphone.html" target="_blank">FOSS Patents</a> believes the patents held by Samsung will not be able to block the sale of the iPhone 5, but that Apple will have to negotiate and pay licensing fees to use them. This is normal practice for standard essential patents, with companies in this industry agreeing beforhand to license patents to each other as needed, and at fair and reasonable rates.</p><p>Another insider source quoted by the Korea Times, however, believes that these LTE patents held by Samsung are not standard essential patents at all, that "the story is totally different when you talk about LTE patents. These are new and highly-valued," and that if Samsung is successful, the iPhone 5 launch could be disrupted. Which would be really frustrating to Cupertino's business plan, we are sure.</p><p>We'll be keeping an eye on this situation, except for when we are scrambling online to pre-order the iPhone 5 tomorrow.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><em>Adrian writes the weekly&nbsp;</em><em><a href="http://www.maclife.com/search/law%20%2526%20Apple" target="_blank">Law &amp; Apple</a></em><em>&nbsp;column and the occasional feature story for MacLife.com. Follow him on&nbsp;</em><em><a href="http://www.twitter.com/aphoppel" target="_blank">Twitter</a></em><em>, or subscribe to him on&nbsp;</em><em><a href="https://www.facebook.com/aphoppel" target="_blank">Facebook</a>.</em></p>http://www.maclife.com/article/columns/law_apple_and_now_samsung_threatens_iphone_5#commentsNewsApple v. SamsungColumnsiphone 5Law & AppleLawsuitPatentsamsung galaxy s3iPhoneThu, 13 Sep 2012 21:19:04 +0000Adrian Hoppel15052 at http://www.maclife.comiPhone 4S Loses Top Spot To Samsung Galaxy S3http://www.maclife.com/article/news/iphone_4s_loses_top_spot_samsung_galaxy_s3
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u323900/galaxys3.png" alt="Galaxy S3" width="200" height="150" class="graphic-right" />Earlier this year, we wondered if the Galaxy S3 would stand <a href="http://www.maclife.com/article/news/does_samsung_galaxy_s3_have_specs_outperform_iphone_5" target="_blank">a chance to outperform the iPhone 5</a>. Well, the next-generation iPhone isn't out just yet -- but it appears the Galaxy S3 has dethroned the iPhone 4S in the U.S. market for the month of August. During a time when Samsung is still trying to make sure it can sell a number of its products in the States, this has to feel like something of a victory.</p><p>According to Canaccord Genuity analyst Michael Walkley (<a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57505552-37/upset-iphone-4s-surrenders-u.s-crown-to-galaxy-s3/" target="_blank">via CNET</a>), the Galaxy S3 is the first phone to knock the iPhone 4S from its perch since Apple launched the phone back in October.</p><p>Of course, a decrease in iPhone 4S sales isn't entirely surprising. Persistent rumors have placed an iPhone 5 announcement for September 12, and according to the <a href="http://www.maclife.com/article/news/its_official_apple_media_event_announced_wednesday_september_12" target="_blank">invitations sent out by Apple this morning</a>, that's now more or less a reality. The sixth-gen iPhone is expected to be available for pre-order the day of the event, with a street date of September 21.</p><p>If history serves right, Apple will probably reclaim the top U.S. mobile spot after the iPhone 5 launch. Moreover, while Galaxy S3 sales were strong for the month of August, it's difficult to evaluate how the late-month decision in the Apple v. Samsung trial might affect future sales.&nbsp;</p><p>After the huge, $1.05 billion damages award issued by the California jury, Apple has since filed further motions, asking the federal courts to ban a number of Samsung devices. Among them? The Galaxy S3.</p><p>Of course, there's no telling the outcome of Apple's patent claims. Obviously, Apple would add the Galaxy S3 to the pile -- for reasons that should be abundantly clear today. But Apple also recently lost a similar infringement case against Samsung in Japan.&nbsp;</p><p>Samsung and Apple will, undoubtedly, continue to duke it out for the foreseeable future. There's only room for one at the top, and neither party is going to give it up easily.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><em>Follow this article's author, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/ClarkMatt" target="_blank">Matt Clark on Twitter.</a></em></p><p>&nbsp;</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/iphone_4s_loses_top_spot_samsung_galaxy_s3#commentsNewsappleiPhone 4Siphone 5mobile device salesSamsungsamsung galaxy s3Tue, 04 Sep 2012 18:28:58 +0000Matt Clark14970 at http://www.maclife.com